Tour Description

We will collect you from your guest house or hotel at 8 in the morning, before starting the 45 minute drive to the Chiang Dao Elephant camp.

Situated in a beautiful area, the camp is home to around 20 elephants. You will see for yourself how all the elephants are treated compassionately, and with a great deal of love.

A working and painting demonstration will show just how intelligent these elephants are, and the level of understanding they have as their mahout communicates with them during an hours training session.

After this, enjoy an hour elephant ride through the amazing jungle which surrounds the Elephant Camp, before boarding a bamboo raft and then floating down the river until about 13.00.

After this, we take you to the Tiger Kingdom and then the Orchid Farm where we can have lunch. Afterward, we can see some more of the Mae Sa Valley at your own pace and for no additional fee.

About Chiang Dao Elephant Camp

The Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center is a ‘must see’ when staying in Chiang Mai. Not only is it the perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but it provides the opportunity to see and experience traditional rural ways of life in action. The relationship between the elephants and their ‘mahout’ is nothing short of that of the best of friends, and as a visitor, you can learn about how this tradition has developed over the centuries. You will also discover many things about the elephants during your time there, such as their nature, talents, individual personality traits and much more.

It is important to remember that these are not animals kept in a zoo. Each one is cared for by their mahout on a one-to-one basis, ensuring that the elephants are as happy as possible. They are worked only during the mornings, and then in the afternoons, they are free to roam the surrounding area. Here, they can bathe in the Ping River, wander through forests and spend the nights wherever they please.

You will find that the morning show is both fun and educational. Many of the displays will show how mahouts and elephants used to work together to aid in the logging of trees, along with other traditional skills. The elephants will skillfully pick up large tree trunks and move them from place to place, and the strength of these magnificent creatures is astounding. They can be delicate too though, as you will see when they are painting!

One of the most memorable experiences that tourists to Thailand can enjoy though, is riding on the back of an elephant in a ‘howdah’. This really is a unique feeling, and one that must be tried, especially in the authentic setting of the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Center. The hours jungle trek is the best chance to get up close and personal with an elephant, and will provide memories that last a lifetime.